Affinity
by Enceludus
Summary: When those who threaten the Na'vi return, the clan is forced to protect what they love yet again. Jake, meanwhile, finds himself being pushed to the limit in a way he never could have imagined in order to save his world. It may just be a step too far.
1. Prologue

**This is only chapter one of a long line of chapters, so don't worry, you're not meant to understand. The idea came to me when I was thinking where James Cameron could possible go in the sequels…why, back to where he started from, of course!**

**Please review if you can, it helps millions. Thanks.**

**Oh and I don't own anything to do with Avatar. If I did, I would be living on Pandora…**

**Enjoy x**

Jake opened his eyes.

He felt as though nothing had changed, when in fact, everything had. He was still Jake Sully and yet somehow…not. He lifted his hands to stare at them, captivated and oddly disturbed by what he saw. He breathed in deeply, wondering vaguely whether he would notice the change in lung capacity. He squirmed his body against the cotton of the medical gown and blinked in the bright, glaring light.

Voices babbled around him, belonging to no one in particular, just merging into one unintelligible noise. Their faces were blurred. This was really happening.

'Jake, can you here me? He was beginning to focus now, but wanted desperately to shut himself out of the situation. Everything had changed. He needed to time to accept what was happening, to reason with himself and convince himself that it was real. 'Jake, c'mon, look at me.' _I can't_, he wanted to say, but his mouth was too dry. _This is so backwards_. He wanted to go back. He wanted to go home again.

Hands were helping him up, rubbing his back and checking his pulse. He stared at his toes, wiggling them in fascination. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad… He swing one leg over the side of the gurney and then the other, and rocked them to and fro like a child.

Ignoring the pleas to slow down, he stood. Never in a million years would he have thought… He wanted to leap and scream and laugh in exultation. He could walk. He had legs again.

_Neytiri_. The thought flashed into his mind like a heat to his heart. He couldn't wait to find her and for her to see him. He would be able to show her who he was, who he really was…who he used to be. But with the thought of Neytiri came the memories of the past few days and the battles that had gripped Pandora once again, and the challenge he and his clan now faced.

He squared his shoulders. He had the upper hand now, and it was up to him to see things through. He would not fail. Not in this new body.

The challenge was daunting, hell it was near impossible, but for now he relished the moment. He stared down at his legs again in amazement and at his small pink feet and delicate little toes. _This is so backwards_, he thought again, shaking his head. He had not thought he would feel such euphoria at the situation but standing there, he knew he would remember this moment forever. He leant back his head and laughed.

Jake Sully was human again.


	2. Eywa's Warning

**Hello, it's time for round two. Reviews would be truly lovely. And I own nothing. Except for the plot. Enjoy x**

Two weeks previously

'Concentrate, Norm! Feel the bow. You can't just aim and shoot, things will happen to fast for that.'

'Look, it's easy for you; you've been using weapons for ten years!'

'Silly Norm,' Neytiri cut in, 'a bow is not weapon, a bow is tool.' Jake laughed at the look on Norm's face as he was bombarded from all sides.

'If you can teach me to learn Na'vi, I can teach you to shoot a bow.' Norm raised his eyebrows and scoffed.

'The two are a little bit different, Jake.'

'Not really,' Jake replied. Norm cut an awkward figure, his long limbs held askew to his body as he kept the bow string taught to his cheek. Jake could see the muscles in his arm quivering.

They stood on the ground as Norm had not yet mastered the balance required to traverse the trees at speed, though the ferns and the tree trunks and vines hampered their sight and prickled their necks. The sun had set behind Polyphemus and now the moons of the night were illuminating their bioluminescent night spots. Neytiri looked especially beautiful. She blushed and smiled when she saw Jake looking at her.

'It's never going to work,' Norm groaned, accidently releasing his arrow which disappeared into the lush undergrowth, far to the left where he was aiming. 'I'm not a warrior.' Neytiri stepped forward, scowling at him, while Jake leant back to watch the scene play out before him fondly. Oh, how he remember the arguments.

'No! You are not warrior, but you are Na'vi now. Not scientist. Somehow you speak Na'vi like one but you cannot hold a bow like one. Now try again.'

Norm had used up his arrows throughout the day so Jake handed him one of his own, chuckling. Neytiri continued. 'Listen!' Norm paused, his head to one side. An eerie keening was audible.'That is the call of viperwolf, and it is hungry. Norhm is tasty for viperwolf. We do not want to make you warrior, we want you to live. We want you to be part of The People,' she told him, her voice softening. Norm nodded solemnly and returned to focus on his bow with the air of someone who has been burdened with a wearisome duty. Sweat trickled down his temple as let the arrow fly. It missed the target by three metres.

Neytiri threw back her head and laughed.

'No more, now. No more arrows left to teach Norhm.'

'There isn't going to be enough trees to make arrows out of soon!' Jake chortled. Norm scowled and the three of them started searching for the lost arrows, finding barely half.

They had set out to teach Norm the ways of the warrior in earnest six Pandora days ago. Jake and Neytiri took minimal amounts of food in the hope that Norm would be able to hunt enough to feed them all. After three days, they had relented to their hunger and caught the food themselves.

Neytiri turned to a fallen branch and leapt onto it elegantly. As Jake climbed up, he was reminded that he still had much to learn; Neytiri bounded from bough to trunk ahead of him, her braid clacking against her chest and Jake had to double his efforts to keep up, leaving Norm struggling behind.

Luminous moss lit the way the entire way up as Jake followed in the footsteps of his mate, and the humming forest muffled the soft sound of their feet on the bark.

When they finally rose above the main canopy, Neytiri selected a wide bough and settled down, crossing her legs and facing the wide horizon. Jake sat alongside her and wrapped his arms around her torso. She leant to his chest.

'Norhm tries hard,' she murmured, her breath tingled his skin. 'He will succeed, but it will take him time.' She fell silent as Norm pulled himself up next to them, his face flushed with exertion.

She had chosen this spot so she could see the night time sky to teach Jake and Norm how to navigate using the moons and the stars and the position of the Great Circle on Polyphemus' side. But now she found the warmth of her mates embrace too relaxing. Neytiri looked up at her Jake, watching him talk animatedly to Norhm in rapid English, his face alive with enthusiasm. Every now and then, he would glance down at her and smile, or squeeze her closer to him, as though he wanted her to be part of his body, not just next to it.

Without her realising it, Jake fell silent and shushed Norm. He was gazing intently at something behind her and she sat up to follow his gaze.

Moving silently in the still air, a single _atokirina_ floated towards them, its warm white fronds pulsing lightly as it flew. The forest seemed to grow quiet around them, watching with them. It alighted on Jake's shoulder and he smiled slightly.

'I'll be damned,' he shook his head. It gave a silent quiver before lifting gently into the air and drifting away.

Neytiri eyed him, a suspicious frown dark on her beautiful features.

'Jake, we are far from the Tree of Souls. Her seeds have never been so far away,' she said, staring after the floating spot of light as it receded into the sky. 'It is not right.' She tried to shake the sense of unease.

'The wind must've blown it,' Norm stated, leaning back, his eyes also following the departing _atokirina,_ wide with wonder.

'There is no wind, Norhm. It is a sign from Eywa. Something is wrong,' she persisted. Her big eyes turned to Jake's and he felt the power behind her gaze; she was truly worried.

'There is nothing with can do now,' he told her, desperate to dismiss any unhappy thoughts in her mind. He hated to see her troubled by worry. Pulling her closer, he nuzzled her neck. 'Now, we must rest.'

But Neytiri could not sleep for a long time. It was true, they could not do anything at night, or so far from the clan, but she fretted all the same. She listened to the strong heartbeat in Jake's chest and watched Norm's innocent face. She felt Eywa in the plants around her and in the loamy spores of the forest. She felt the sturdiness of the bough beneath her.

But she did not feel safe.

The branch below him rattled violently and erratically, like a leaf blown by the wind. Jake shot to his feet, awake in an instant, ears flat against his head and his arms raised to pull the bow from where it lay across his chest. The shaking came again, accompanied by a deep, rising rumble that echoed inside his very bones. For a moment, he thought it was the sound of bulldozers and machines and glanced at the forest floor frantically, but no, there was not a scrap of metal in sight. The sound was natural. It was just thunder. He breathed a sigh of relief and let his shoulders relax. _It can never hurt to be paranoid…_

Neytiri stood beside him, ears twitching morosely as she listened to the sky. Her hands had not flown to her bow, but her whole body was tense and attentive.

'This is not good,' she murmured, shaking her head. 'Eywa is not pleased.' Jake could not suppress a frown a frown at her words. He opened his mouth to reply, but he was silenced by Neytiri holding up her hand abruptly, and shushing him and Norm who had also clambered groggily to his feet. 'Listen.'

The rain on Pandora always fell with a fury, flattening the ferns and pelting their heads, but today, it fell more violently than Jake had ever known. The droplets stung his broad shoulders set down a layer of muddied water on the forest floor that sent tiny mammals scampering from their burrows. The wind was provoking the trees into a fury and they whipped their limbs about, sweeping at each other and hurling leaves and twigs in every direction. And then there was the thunder…the sound that sounded so much like the human machines of destruction…

Jake felt an involuntary shudder bolt up his spine.

'Jake, we must go to my mother, right now,' Neytiri told him, and with a call to her _ikran _cut off his reply mid-sentence. She turned to him, her eyes wide with a fear he had never seen before in her eyes. 'Please Jake, this is no time for questions. We must go.'

If Jake had been unsure whether the _ikrans _could fly in such weather, he needn't have. Neytiri's new mountain banshee rose out of an adjacent tree, closely followed by his own. Jake pulled Norm after his mate, who had set off at a punishing sprint towards her _ikran._ Then she leapt and disappeared into the sky. Jake's own _ikran_ banked heavily until he flew parallel to the thick branch.

'Norm, come on,' he shouted, silently thankful that the _ikrans_ always stayed close to their _maktos. _He pushed Norm ahead of him, quickly judging the speed of his banshee and that of his friend, before he shoved Norm roughly off the branch. He fell with flailing arms and landed lopsided on the creature's back with a grunt.

The _ikran _wheeled around in surprise at the foreign figure and bared his teeth, ready for battle, but then Jake landed in front of Norm and made the connection. They dipped in the air slightly as the banshee struggled momentarily under the extra weight, but then he beat his powerful wings and rose into the sky. At an urgent thought from Jake, he wheeled around and headed after Neytiri, committed to follow her where ever she went. Into the heart of the storm.


	3. Readying

**Instalment number three, I do believe. Please tell me if I get too carried away with descriptions, I don't have much confidence in my ability to write conversations, so I tend to stick to action. But if I am truly lacking, just say and I'll do something about it! Same goes for massive gaping plot holes that may start to appear – just shout because I loose track of things! And spelling mistakes etc. Sorry, I'll shut up now. Enjoy! x **

Jake and Norm reached the Tree of Souls by nightfall, arriving several hours after Neytiri. They had had to stop twice to let Jake's _ikran _rest – the creature struggled to carry both of them over such long distances, but they did not have a choice.

Neytiri stood with Mo'at on the crest of the clearing, the People kneeling down around them, their faces lit from above by the glowing tree. The most honoured warriors stood beside Mo'at and her daughter, in deep conversation while the rest looked on.

Jake made his way between the People, hearing the odd hiss of breath as Norm stood on fingers and nerve tails. He could sense curious eyes focussing on his friend for such forthright behaviour, seeing as he was not even true Omaticaya, so when he felt Norm falter under their gaze, he turned and beckoned him forwards with him. Norm smiled nervously.

Jake recognised the unusually tall form of Beyral bending over the dirt and using an arrow point to map out a plan of the Tree of Souls and the surrounding forest. She was talking in rapid Na'vi. No one looked up when Jake and Norm arrived.

'…here, within reach of the People, so we can rotate easily and be a short flight away. Another here, and here…'

'We should not position them so close. If we are to battle, we must draw them away from the People as far as possible.' Neytiri was talking now, taking command of the situation, Jake noted with pride. With a frown he registered what she had said. _Battle?_

When he tried to ask her what she meant, he was interrupted with a hand in his face.

'We make two rings of warriors,' Neytiri said, slipping back into English for his benefit. 'Outer ring, like sentinels. Inner ring, many warriors, like guards.' She looked up eagerly and Mo'at nodded her confirmation.

'Neytiri, please,' Jake asked, 'what's going on? What do you mean, battle?'

'We must prepare ourselves for whatever may come. Eywa has spoken and we must heed her warning.'

'What, this storm?' Jake fought to keep the cynicism from his voice, but failed. He was well aware of the entirety of the Omaticaya clan watching them carefully. Norm stood behind Jake, totally silent. 'Storms happen, Neytiri. You think the humans are coming back, don't you? That's a big jump to make, why is it not-'

'Why?' Neytiri hissed at him. '_Why?!_ Last time Eywa sent us warning as great as this, it was to tell of _you' _she prodded him in the chest, 'and your people, coming here. Coming here and killing and…' She seemed to run out of anger and turned her back on him abruptly.

'Look,' Mo'at past her daughter to take his arm, guiding him away from the base of the Tree of Souls and towards the People. 'And you,' she told Norm, motioning for him to follow. 'You dreamwalker always have head in sky,' she grumbled. 'You must listen to Eywa.'

She motioned for them to connect with the tree, with Eywa, and with the People. Jake threw a glance at Norm who just shrugged. Neytiri was scowling at him, her arms crossed.

Jake made the connection and felt his heart flutter with unexpected panic. It was not a conscious feeling, but a reaction to the minds that touched his, tainted with worry. Whispers exploded behind his eyes, murmuring their distress in low voices. But it was more than just the voices, it was the_ sence.. _Jake felt his hackles rise and his ears twitch as the very earth he stood upon filled him with its fear.

He broke away, shocked by the feel of Eywa's trepidation.

'So, what's the plan?'

By the following morning, one hundred warriors had been spread out around the forest, in groups of four, interspersed at roughly three kilometre intervals, by Jake's estimation. Another ring had been set up, much closer to the Tree of Souls, consisting of a thin line of warriors, circling the Tree of Souls completely. The groups of sentinels were changed with fresh warriors twice a Pandora day, reporting back to the Tree of Souls with a detailed account of the state of the wildlife, and the position of the land. Everything was noted, no matter how trivial.

Warriors were sent to observe Pandora from the sky, circling constantly, higher and higher until they could see for miles. They were sent not just to observe the ground from above, but the sky from below too.

Jake was detailed with organising the sky watches, while Neytiri organised the ground guards. He knew she was angry with him for doubting Eywa but he had no time to speak to her and it seemed that she had little wish to speak to him. She would turn her head when he approached in disdain, ignoring his apology. She lay with him at night only for the warmth.

On the second day, messengers were sent swiftly out to the surrounding clans, informing them of the Omatacaya peoples' choice to set up vigorous guards around the Tree of Souls and encouraging them to report any abnormalities.

Mo'at announced that all of the young Na'vi who were on the cusp of being initiated into the clan as warriors were to make the journey to the Iknimaya Mountains to chose their _ikrans,_ and to be chosen.

Norm was among those selected by Mo'at, but he declined, his eyes wide with panic. Jake had gone to him and convinced him to try, despite his friend's protest at the height of the climb and the danger of the journey. Norm agreed to only when Jake promised him that if he were successful, he would support Norm's attempt to become part of the People for ever, and transfer into his Avatar body permanently, as Jake had done.

Jake knew that Norm was struggling to be both human and Na'vi, to wake in one body and to sleep, only to wake in the next. The temporary link room was buried deep in the foliage, close to the Tree of Souls. When Norm was in his human body, all he would do was sleep, and he was beginning to waste away.

Even so, it was only when Norm became a warrior that he would be allowed to join the clan.

By the forth day, the rain had still not relented, and many parts of the forest floor were flooded. It ran down the tree trunks and flattened the plants to the mud.

Jake flew to the Iknimaya Mountains to oversee the young warriors battling with the banshees, one by one. He watched Norm's careful ascent, as the wind rattled the floating rocks and the banshees wheeled in the sky around him, below him and above him.

When Norm came to make a leap from one rock to the vine that would lead him to the final platform, he faltered and stopped completely. Jake swooped in to offer his encouragement, only to pull back at the sight of Neytiri circling Norm closely, shouting instructions and support. Jake smiled. She couldn't keep away, regardless of how angry she was with him.

When Norm made it to the roosting platform, there were but a few banshees left. The elder warriors sent to accompany the young ones gave their encouragement to Norm, an unusual act, then stood back to watch. Somehow, Norm found it within himself to engage an _ikran._ Jake felt guilty that he hadn't the faith in him to believe he would get this far, but then he reasoned it wasn't the bravery Norm lacked, it was the skill. He watched as Norm was thrown to the side once, twice, three times. The final time, he did not stand again and Jake was on the verge of flying down to protect his friend from the advancing banshee, but the warriors leapt forward and dragged Norm away. He had failed.

On the seventh day, Na'vi from across the land started to pour into the Omatacaya territory, taking up temporary refuge at the Tree of Souls. They flew on the backs of their banshees, rode on their direhorses and walked, carrying children, weapons and blankets. The number of warriors increased tenfold, as did the number of mouths to feed.

Jake had not seen Norm since he returned from the Iknimaya Mountains and ventured into the forest, alone, disgusted with himself. Many Na'vi had offered their support to Norm, encouraging him to try again when he was permitted, but some, mainly the youngest and proudest taunted him for his failure. Jake had tried to talk to him, but Norm had shrugged him off and stalked away.

He flew high above his friend, overseeing his slow progress to the link room, where he entered and did not come out. Jake had to leave him then, to organise his guard.

Neytiri threw herself into her duty, returning barely to sleep and speaking to him even more rarely. Her anger waned as tiredness took over and, at night, Jake would draw her into his arms whether she wanted to or not, and held her close until he felt her relax.

The People were still in a state of agitation, and appealed to Jake and his knowledge of the sky people at what to expect. He could not tell them anything.

On the eighth day, nothing happened.

On the ninth day, nothing happened.

On the tenth day, nothing happened.

On the eleventh day, nothing happened.

On the twelfth day, the humans came.


	4. Contact

**Thank you so much for the great reviews! Everyone cheers me up no end whether it's good or bad. Thank you for taking the time, it makes all the difference to my day. I do apologise it has taken me this long to update; I will try harder over the next week to get it all up. Peace everybody x**

The Na'vi were panicking. They were silent, but they were panicking. Jake and Norm stood shoulder to shoulder with each other, and shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the Omaticaya, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Na'vi from Pandora's furthest reaches. Spears clattered against bows and beads skittered off each other, echoing against the wide tree trunks. Jake tried to slow his breathing, acutely aware of how much noise he was making. Norm shifted again and Jake heard him swallow dryly.

The others around him, with the exception of Norm, were completely silent – a glaring sign of how scared they were. Wide eyes spoke of the fear that no one was able to voice.

They had been waiting for Neytiri for hours, and Jake was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the time she was taking to return from the Tree of Souls where she was having an emergency meeting with her mother. Jake had been charged with commanding a section of warriors that stood in a line over four kilometres long, by his estimation. But they did not need controlling, it seemed. It was as though they had one mind, and at the slightest of requests from him, the entire battalion, as he began to think of it, would shift as swiftly as a flock of birds in flight.

The battalion was one of a dozen ringing the Tree of Souls, stretching to the horizon either side and standing three deep. Every able bodied Na'vi had taken their place.

Jake shook his head and sighed. Mo'at had taken up the responsibilities of her late mate and they were waiting on her command to attack, or at least investigate further and make contact and Jake hadn't been able to help but think that she would decide rashly, choosing to eradicate the humans immediately, rather than examine their motives. It was natural, given the great battles… but if the humans wanted war, they would've acted by now, using bombs and technology, rather than wait like they were doing now.

Jake had led an expedition to investigate the human camp two days ago. As far as he knew, only four Scorpions and one Dragon Assault Ship had landed, but the Dragon Assault Ship had the capability to carry scores of soldiers and AMP suits and if there was the slighted chance the humans were organising attack, The People had to know.

As they had flown low over the canopy of the forest, the rain had lessened, then stopped altogether, and their vision had cleared just in time for a barrage of bullets to puncture the air around them. The humans had set up outposts of heavy machinery and Jake had flown his warrior's right over one. They had returned home with three less warriors than before and the rain had started again…

Jake was disturbed from his reverie by the distinct, sickening sound of engines and a moment later the sharp tang of petrol burned his nostrils. The temperature seemed to rise several degrees.

Around him, Na'vi hissed savagely and crouched lower, weapons raised. They looked to him for guidance. He motioned them to hold back with the flat of his palm and took a step forwards. Nobody stopped him and even Norm was quiet.

Movement. Through the trees. Dark flashes of metal accompanied by the clank of machinery. AMP suits.

Jake walked until he stood ahead of the Na'vi. _International relations for dummies, _he thought wryly and squared his shoulders as six hulking figures made their way towards him.

They stopped ten metres from away.

'Jake Sully?'

'What do you want?' Jake said, then repeated himself when he realised he had been speaking in Na'vi the first time round. He stopped himself from clearing his throat – a sure sign of nervousness_. Of weakness_. The marine who spoke raised an eyebrow.

'Your help.' Words died in Jake's throat. _What? '_Here, take this,' the man said, brandishing an old radio communicator and throwing it to Jake with such grace that his suit could've been his Avatar.

Jake caught it softly, aware of the hundreds of Na'vi warriors at his back that didn't have a clue what was going on. He clicked the channel open.

'Jake? Jake?!' It was Max Patel.

'Yeah, hi Max.' It was Jake's turn to raise an eyebrow. 'What's going on? Are you ok?'

'I'm fine,' Max laughed, his voice crackling. 'I sure didn't think I'd ever hear your voice again!'

'Max, where are you? What's going on?'

'Yeah, sorry. Look, we're up shit creek here, Jake. We need your help and believe me, I wouldn't be calling if there was any other option, but it's past that now, it really is. I've tried everything and I just want to say-'

'Max. Tell me what is going on.' The Na'vi behind him were shifting with anticipation.

'Sorry. I'm on the IVV Star right now and things are getting bad. Most of us have been evacuated but uh, no one expected an exodus from Pandora on that scale and we're still way too over-populated up here. Those on the ground were just shunted straight up here because it was too dangerous to stay on Pandora.' Jake noted the hint of apology in Max's voice. 'Basically, we don't have enough fuel to return to Earth and we're fast running out of food. We need your help, Jake. Please?'

The forest returned to silence, except for the soft sound of Norm translating to the nearest Na'vi behind him, and the whirring of the AMP suits. Six stony faced marines stared down at him and he looked the leader in the eye.

'Of course, Max.' The humans twitched noticeably, giving Jake the distinct impression that he had just contradicted their predicted outcome. One of them hoisted his gun up, unnecessarily threatening. 'One question; why aren't I talking to you face to face?'

Max paused and across the distance, Jake sensed the discomfort.

'They thought I just wanted to go to the surface for my own gain…thought I'd run off or something…but they agreed the Na'vi were most likely to listen to me, given my connection to you. I'm the last chance before…' He left the words unsaid to linger darkly in the air.

'How much ammunition do you have up there?' Jake asked uncomfortably, refusing to break eye contact with the marine in front of him.

'Enough. Much more than enough…'

'Alright, that'll do,' the marine snapped, stepping forwards, beckoning for the radio. The instant he did, fourteen arrows hit the dirt in front of him and Jake whirled around.

'_Hold your fire_,' he hissed. The Na'vi still didn't appreciate the destruction six machine guns could cause, but the damage had been done and the marines lifted their guns. '_Hold fire,' _he snarled again, alternating between English and Na'vi.

The marine sneered. 'Tell your soldiers to back down, unless you want to kill a few hundred more Sully.' Jake felt hot anger rising to throat.

'No,_ you _back off. This is our land, so move. Now.' He walked towards them. 'I'll help you, but not here. This is too dangerous, for you, I mean.'

Norm called out in alarm at the sight of Jake advancing towards the AMP suits, his blue frame dwarfed by the dull machines. Jake turned to calm the agitated Na'vi by spreading his arms wide.

'It's ok,' he called in Na'vi. 'Hold the line. I've got to discuss this; it isn't a problem that's going to disappear. Norm, no one follows, you understand? No more bloodshed.'

Norm nodded, his mouth hanging open and the six machines jerked into life and followed Jake, flanking him, into the undergrowth. Norm was left, horrified, with the entire Na'vi race waiting for his explanation.


	5. Reversal

**And another one! It might be short, but at least I'm getting faster! Hope you enjoy it. x**

The first thing that alerted Neytiri to the fact something was wrong was the babble of nearly a thousand Na'vi. The next thing was the stink of humans. The last thing was the sight of Norm Spellman up a tree.

'Norhm!' She shouted, dismounting her direhorse and landing softly on the loamy ground, but there was no way he could hear her over the murmuring voices. He was crouched on a low branch, his arms spread wide, talking loudly, but no one seemed to be listening. The Na'vi stood in a dense circle around the tree, their agitation echoed off the underside of the trees.

With a growl she pulled herself onto the bough of the nearest tree and within six heartbeats was walking up behind Norm while glancing round for Jake's tall form amongst the crowd. They fell silent at her approach and Norm nearly toppled off the branch. She liked having that effect on people.

'Norhm, what is going on? Where is Jake?' She asked in English, feeling a wave of pity at poor Norms' sweaty, panicking face. As he explained what had happened though, she herself began to sweat at the thought of Jake disappearing with the humans, regardless of their intentions. She nodded. If Jake had made a decision then, Ewya willing, it would be the right one.

'My mother instructed us to make contact with them, but it seems that has already happened,' Neytiri declared, switching back to Na'vi and raising her voice to the waiting warriors. Upturned faces slick with rain waited for her to continue. 'Jakesullee is mediating with the humans, and as we know of their intentions, we will see them off before nightfall. If we help,' _as Jake would want, '_then not only will we be true to ourselves, but they will leave without the need for battle. And if they return again, we will see them off again, in anyway possible.' She saw nods of confirmation and a few whoops of agreement reached up from the crowd, though many still had the blood of the anticipated battle running through their bodies and unsettled speartips waved menacingly above their heads.

'You will return to my mother, and tell her of this development,' Neytiri instructed her fastest rider. 'And you,' she said, indicating to the nearest hundred or so Na'vi, 'will inform the other battalions of the decision. Ride fast and leave now.'

When she had finished dividing the chosen messengers and instructing them in which direction to head, she began organising the remaining warriors to resume their position. There was not a chance that they would let their guard down with those aliens still standing on Pandora soil. Norm babbled incessantly in her ear, following her around eagerly.

'I didn't know what to say to them and they wanted me to follow Jake but Jake told me to gold the line and…' His voice droned on as Neytiri thought about her mate. Alone with the humans. Again. She twitched, as if to follow him and protect him but held back. _Trust him,_ she repeated to herself over and over again. _He will be fine,_ she thought.

That was until she heard a single gunshot reverberate through the trees.


End file.
